AP: Oil, Gold Lead Session-Long Selloff in Commodities
(CEP News) - Natural gas is currently the only major commodity currently up on Tuesday, as both oil and gold are down in price.
Natural gas futures are up $0.018 mmbtu to $6.759, while, in the mining sector, Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) gold is trading down $28.50 per ounce to $770.20 USD. In Canadian dollars, gold is down $18.28 to C$930.29.
"In the absence of gold-specific news, gold prices have resumed tracking currency movements," wrote Amrita Sen from Barclays Capital, referencing price action on Monday when the U.S. dollar strengthened on comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke (and gold dropped lower as a result). "Although physical buying in gold has picked up as prices eased below the $800 level, safe-haven buying has started to wane."
The U.S. dollar index is meanwhile up 0.622 points to 83.722. Citigroup strategists believe a break below $700 in gold is a definite possibility.
"Gold is soft today and drifting towards major support in the $730-740 area," they wrote in a research note. "A move below here would suggest a danger of extended losses towards the 200 week moving average at $649."
Silver contracts at the CBOT are down $0.10 to $9.72. Meanwhile, Bloomberg's index for base metals is down 5.51 points to 146.25.
West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil is down $2.40 per barrel to $71.99.